Review: Nightwalk

If you like your fashion dark and sexy with a hint of crazy you’ve come to the right place. Nightwalk is more of an experience than just a fashion show, which is evident from its setting in The Arches, Glasgow’s most charismatic music and club venue.

After this year’s Autumn/Winter Nightwalk was rescheduled due to a blackout we were excited to finally witness what up-and-coming Scottish designers had to offer. From the neatly tailored shirts by the Swedish-born Jennie Lööf, or the entirely white collection of dresses entitled ‘White Noise’ by Betty Spoke, to playful latex creations by Betsabelle, each of the 14 designers had a unique vision. Womenswear clearly dominated the show however admirers of menswear (and male models!) were not disappointed by male design duo Nothing and several colourful designs by Brian Chan and a few other designers.

But how did the participants feel about the fashion show? GUM spoke to Brian Chan who recently graduated from The Glasgow School of Art about his fashion label and first impressions of Nightwalk. Brian’s exquisite and inventive creations were one of the highlights of the show with his Paper Collage Waistcoat and Handbag Sculptures definitely channeling the avant garde. Brian describes his work as: “bold, daring, edgy, lively and trendy as well as offering an energetic galactic experience.” He focuses on the relationship between Art and Fashion, saying: “I am extending my art onto garments, a mode of direction to exhibit my work in a much broader perspective boosting my imagination and creativity.”His interest in art definitely comes across in his boldly coloured pieces, often decorated with splashes of paint and with paintbrushes used as accessories. My favourite piece was a red not-sure-if-dress or a fashion sculpture. As the model in red turned on the catwalk you could see that all the red stuff was coming from a paint can. Very clever. I’m surprised Lady Gaga hasn’t snapped it up yet.

And as to why he wanted to be part of Nightwalk? He said: “I wanted to be part of a fashion show that showcases creativity and is full of passion from everyone…[and] was hoping to be part of the Scottish local talents.” When asked about the Nightwalk experience Brian gushes: “The experience was fantastic, meeting new friends and people within the fashion industry. Everyone is very friendly and it was great to see everyone helping each other out.”GUM also caught up with some of the models to find out what it was about Nightwalk that made them want to get involved. For Macoula Dembele it was because: “people who have done it were talking about it and I thought it would be something different and interesting to get involved in.” Macoula found the atmosphere at Nightwalk “friendly and welcoming” and would definitely recommend other people to get involved.

Kirstin Gibbin, a model signed with Colours Modeling Agency agrees: “Its a great thing to get involved with because it gives you the opportunity to work with so many creative people. The atmosphere is full of fun, creative, crazy people who are all about making everything exciting and fabulous! Even though everyone is a little hyper, there is an amazing professional sense by the creators.”So even if you missed Nightwalk this time round, be sure to check out the Spring/Summer Nightwalk in 2013. If you’re planning to get involved, if you’re a budding fashionista or even if you’re just the jeans and t-shirt type Nightwalk is an unmissable event which showcases amazing local design talent and has an electric atmosphere.